Review: Still by Kennedy Ryan (Grip #2)

Note: This ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This. 

Her. 

Us. 

I'm as sure of her as I am that every night the moon will show up, the stars will shine down, and hours later, the sun will rise again.

Damn it. Crying AND reading into the wee hours of the morning make for a lethal combination, but that's exactly what I ended up doing with Still, the second full-length novel and third book in the Grip series from one of the most gifted authors I've ever had the privilege of reading. Kennedy Ryan gave the world Marlon "Grip" James and Bristol Gray's love story via Flow and Grip, and while we--well, Grip and Bristol, and then the rest of us by extension--get the happily-ever-after, I felt as if they still had more story to tell. Lo and behold, Ryan agreed, but she didn't just give her fans and readers an epilogue-type conclusion to Grip and Bristol's story. Nope, these two lovers, who were once as star-crossed as a pair could get, deserved a tale that would allow them to evolve, not just as a couple, but as individuals, and highlight how far they and their love have come. Oh, how this author delivered.

Grip and Bristol have overcome the disapproval of almost all of those who matter. Their love hasn't merely survived the onslaught of opinions--whether in support of them or not--but it's thrived. But while it's easy for Grip to turn a deaf ear towards those who consider their relationship an abomination, Bristol is still navigating a minefield. You would think that in this twenty-first and highly modernized world we all live in, one wouldn't have to demand respect and hope for acceptance. Sadly, there are still those who don't think that a black man and a white woman should be together. But if that were the one and only challenge to their relationship, Grip and Bristol have been there and done that. Except...Fate will test their love and commitment to one another--a test that may lead to broken hearts and wounded souls. Will they be able to mend and heal and realize their love is still forevermore?

If you had any idea of how difficult it is to stop myself from giving out any of the details in this story, you'd feel sorry for me. Because how do I explain to you why my heart was clenching as painfully as it was if I can't pinpoint which parts in the book led to it? How can I give you an idea of what it's like to become so absolutely invested in two people and their relationship--all of which are fictional--if I don't share with you their love story filled with trials and triumphs? Believe me, it isn't easy to rein myself in, but I also refuse to take away from those of you who have yet to experience Grip and Bristol's love story the magnificence of their tale and the perfection of Kennedy Ryan's writing. In the state of our world today, where divisiveness is all too real, Still is a story that inspires us all to hope and believe. It gives you things to ponder on while making you feel...everything. Five-plus stars times infinity. ♥

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Read my reviews for the Grip series:

Flow (prequel novella) - five-plus stars - My Review

Grip (book one) - five-plus stars - My Review

Still (book two) - five-plus stars - My Review (posted above)

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Release Date: 24 September 2017

Date Read: 23 September 2017

Learn more about Kennedy Ryan.

Purchase Still on Amazon.